Bobby Womboldt, E-63

Each school and college has its share of tragedies that occur on campus over time. CSDR is no exception, with 72 years of educational services rendered on campus.

On the subject of death on campus, the second student to die on campus was Bobby Womboldt, a student member of the Class of 1963.   See Bobby in the picture below taken in 1955.

Bobby gained admission to CSDR in 1956 from the Mary E Bennett Oral School for the Deaf in downtown Los Angeles (1897 to 1986).  From 1953 to 1986, oral students transferred to CSDR mainly to start in the intermediate grades.  Their signing skills were limited at best.  Bobby made friends with Mark McCrory, ‘62, and Tom Utley, ‘62, at MEB and met again at CSDR. Here is the picture of Tommy on the MEB playground. He epitomizes the current dress style for Southern California teens in the 1950s.

Tom Henes, ‘63, arrived at CSDR in 1957 and met Bobby.  They were together in classes and dorms. Tom described Bobby as a good boy from a broken home.  His parents neglected him and left him at CSDR most weekends every school year.  Bobby’s teachers seldomly took him home with them for a change of scenery for the weekend.  CSDR was open seven days a week, and dorms were still open on weekends until 1973.  Bobby was born with crooked legs that made him walk somewhat awkwardly.  He put up with ridicule from his age friends on his strange gait.

On November 16, 1958, Bobby and Tom Henes exchanged small talk in the back of the Palomar III dorm. Tom was the last person talking with Bobby that night. Their conversation ended with a good night. Bobby soon experienced difficulty breathing in bed. It was later found that he had walking pneumonia, which made him miserable with a persistent cough and excessive mucous in the upper parts of his lungs.

Bobby rose from bed in the wee hours and walked towards the restroom.  He lost his balance and hit the bed end frame in his head, knocking him unconscious.  His head was bleeding nonstop as he lay motionless on the floor.  A night attendant made periodic checks on boys in every room with a flashlight.  He saw Bobby on the floor with a pool of blood.   A frantic call was made for medical assistance from the night nurse at the campus infirmary.  The nurse tried to revive Bobby but to no avail.  She called for an ambulance from Riverside Community Hospital for further medical assistance.  Bobby was pronounced dead upon arrival.

While the medical emergency was in effect in the bedroom, the deaf boys, including Tom Henes, in the nearby bedrooms, remained in a deep sleep like a log.

The boys rose at 6:45 am and walked in a line formation straight to the dining room for breakfast without a clue what had happened to Bobby a few hours earlier.  After breakfast, the boys and girls were puzzled by their dorm counselors asking them to walk straight to the Social Hall immediately.   As they walked, they talked among themselves about what was happening, as they had never done this before.   As they entered the Social Hall, they saw Dr Brill standing on the stage waiting for them at 7:30 am. They realized something was important.

Dr Brill broke the sad news to the intermediate and upper boys and girls in the packed Social Hall that Bobby Womboldt had died a few hours ago in the dorm.  The hospital staff was not able to save Bobby’s life.  Bobby was 14 and in the 8th grade.

Tom soon found out that Bobby’s roommate saw the medical scene with full lights on in his bedroom and had his bedroom, with the blood on the floor, cleaned up. The night attendant instructed the roommate to stay mum about what happened to Bobby in his bedroom. He complied with the directions. After Dr. Brill’s announcement was made, the roommate was free to tell friends what he saw. An unforgettable experience for many.

At CSDR, we see ourselves as one big Cubs family in a small village where news travels fast. Interestingly, I am going back 67 years to 1958 to capture the sad story with details explained from start to finish. We care to find out what happened to our family bonded by language and culture.

May Bobby Womboldt continue to rest in peace after the first 67-year lapse. May his story stay in the CSDR Old Times and eventually in the published book in 2028.

Kevin Struxness, ‘76, MA

Editor, CSDR Old Times

25 March 2025

In my archives room with thousands of archival materials from the past 80 years on campus. Many gems are waiting to be discovered through research, interviews and dedication.